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Archive 2016 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII

  
 
Tim Carpenter
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


I've been a Canon user for years. I now own a 6D FF, with a series of fast pro lenses. While I will still use this gear for portraits and landscape work when I'm on my own (at least for now), I'm ready to get into the MFT world. I love the idea of a small load of gear if I can truly get close to the same results.

My use will be mostly for travel and street photography. I'd like to pick up a camera and couple of lenses before a trip to Seattle at the end of the month. We will being doing a whale watching trip so want to have what I need for that. The rest will be street photography, some landscapes, etc.

I think Olympus seems the way to go. Good selection of lenses and IBIS. Trying to decide between the EM-1 and EM-5 MII. While I always think I'll shoot more video, I don't so probably should lean on the improved video of the EM-5. I always like the idea of a weather sealed body which I believe the EM-1 has but the EM-5 doesn't,

I'd appreciate the thoughts of any other Olympus owners on the forum.

Thanks



Jun 08, 2016 at 10:11 PM
String
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


Original EM-5 user, upgraded to EM-1; EM-1 is more "DSLR" like and EM-5 is more "CSC" like. Most owners (that I know) with the EM-5 use the half grip which makes the size more EM-1 like anyway. The new EM-5 has a couple more bells/whistles, the biggest being the high res shot.

If you are planning on a few smaller primes, I would go for the EM-5II. If you plan on going for the pro zooms, EM-1 all the way.

Personally, I'd buy a used (or refurbed) EM-1 as they are pretty cheap now. If you like the system, get a (rumored) EM-1 II later this year.

Forgot to add; dont be put off by the menu system. Its a PITA at first but stick with it. Dont think you can find a more customizable camera on the market. There are lots of good guides out there now as well.



Jun 08, 2016 at 10:38 PM
wildwildwes
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


Both are excellent and as for video, the EM-1 is no slouch. In some ways I prefer the E-M1 video output over my Panasonic Lumix GH-4 (primarily because of the E-M1's stabilization).
As for the weather sealing feature, my guess is that most of us shy away from shooting in inclement weather and will rarely if ever really put that feature to the real test!



Jun 08, 2016 at 11:39 PM
Jonas B
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


Hmm.... I seem to recall that the EM5 is weather sealed.


Jun 08, 2016 at 11:59 PM
mcbroomf
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


Jonas B wrote:
Hmm.... I seem to recall that the EM5 is weather sealed.

Yes, EM1 and EM5II are "Dust splash and freeze proof" (and maybe 1st EM5 rev) but not the EM10

http://www.getolympus.com/us/en/omd

Table all the way down ...





Jun 09, 2016 at 03:37 AM
TMaG82
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


The sealing is only as good as the lens and there's only a handful of sealed lenses in the lineup. Outside of the 5 that are in the pro lineup (7-14, 12-40, 40-150, 300, and 8 fisheye), the only lens from Olympus that's sealed is the 60 macro. From all the Mirrorless manufacturer I trust Olympus with weather sealing most.

If you plan on using small primes then either body is fine I myself prefer the beefier grip of the E-M1. When I used to shoot the original E-M5 I always wanted the add on grip. Also the other difference is the type of screen you like, whether you want a flip up or down screen or a fully articulating screen like on the 60/70/80D series. While I like the articulating screen for vertical portraits using live view, I found the pulling out, rotating, shooting, then rotating back action to be more of a hassle. The E-M5II has high res mode as well while the E-M1 does not but the uses of that are rather limited due to the restrictions on it (tripod, no movements in the scene or you get artifacts, etc).

The E-M1 right now is rather cheap, I know myself after getting my K-1 I'll be listing mine on the B&S forum. You can probably snag a great deal on one soon since a E-MII is rumored to be on the way around Photokina.



Jun 09, 2016 at 03:52 AM
Tim Carpenter
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


Related to the EM-1 being more DSLR like....it's still considerably smaller than a DSLR, right? I likely will end up with one pro lens at first. The whole idea is to shed a lot of the extra weight so that I'm more likely to bring the camera with me.

Also, I've heard the 14-150mm is nice lens. Typically I would stay away from these types of super zooms. If the IQ is decent, I might pick one up for our whale watching trip.



Jun 09, 2016 at 06:24 AM
TMaG82
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


Yup still smaller than a dslr. I'll take some comparison pictures later tonight with my E-M1 and my K-1 (one of the smaller FF dslr). The E-M1 with the 12-40 is a great combo size/weight wise. Body and lens weigh less than my K-1 body only.


Jun 09, 2016 at 06:49 AM
Tim Carpenter
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


I've loved my 24-105mm F4 on my 6D as a great walkabout lens. Is there something close in the available lenses that is recommended?


Jun 09, 2016 at 07:17 AM
riotshield
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


I would personally go with the E-M5 II because the E-M1 has its share of reported QC issues (rear control dial malfunctions, EVF burn, strap lugs falling out). The E-M5 design is also a bit more versatile IMO due to the external grip option (I prefer no grip for the smaller lenses).

The 12-40 PRO is probably the closest match for the 24-105L. There are a couple of 12-50/12-60 lenses but they are variable aperture.



Jun 09, 2016 at 07:47 AM
Tim Carpenter
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


Is build quality comparable between the em-1 and 5? Also, are you suggesting the added grip may be best for the PRO lens you recommended or only the longer focal length pro lenses?


Jun 09, 2016 at 08:08 AM
Jman13
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


Build quality on both is top-notch. They're built like tiny little tanks. The big difference for me is AF: if you're shooting a lot of action, the E-M1 should be where you go, as it has phase-detect AF capability for tracking. The E-M5 II doesn't. Both are very, very fast in single shot, but the E-m1 will track motion better. Aside from that, the E-M5 II is the better camera, and has a few newer features, including the somewhat limited, but sometimes very useful high res mode, which creates 64 MP RAW files for static scenes.

I'd probably get the extra grip for the E-M5 II.

The E-M10 II is also worth a look if you don't need the high res mode or the weather sealing of the E-M5 II...it has almost every other feature and it costs less. I've been using the E-M10 II for the past 6 months and I really like it. It's a heck of a camera for the price.



Jun 09, 2016 at 08:39 AM
Qwerty64
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


I went through this same decision making process a few weeks ago. Really did not need the additional features of the E-M5 mk II such as high res mode and really liked the robust build and feel in the hand of the E-M1.

I was leaning towards the E-M1, but its at the end of its life and is about to be replaced in a few months. Also the 16MP CMOS sensor in both cameras is pretty old and the new E-M1 replacement will likely feature a new generation of Olympus image sensor.

So I decided that I'll wait to see what the upcoming E-M1 replacement will be all about as I'll probably go with that down the road. I did not feel like investing that kind of money right now in the current E-M1 as it nears the end of its product life. I instead went with the E-M10 mk II, which is basically a E-M1 lite. Fantastic ergonomics with the raised dials, really nice accessory grip and very good build quality at a super nice price. IBIS is the same as the E-M1 and viewfinder, although smaller, is 2.36M-dot OLED and really quite good, even for a eyglass wearer like me as well as silent and vibration free electronic shutter mode.

I've paired the E-M10 mk II with the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 which is the ultimate general zoom and its really a mind blowing lens in terms of image quality. Loving the combo.



Jun 09, 2016 at 09:17 AM
bobbytan
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


The E-M1 is a pretty sophisticated machine with Firmware Version 4.1 with features like the High-Res mode, Silent Shutter or e-shutter, Focus Stacking and Focus Bracketing, etc. You can pick up a "certified reconditioned" copy from the Olympus store directly for $720 which is great value, as it is a lot of camera for that price. Of course, the next iteration of the E-M1 would be even better with 4K video, hand-holdable High-Res mode, and probably a significantly improved C-AF which is huge if you are planning to also get the Oly 300/4 PRO or PL 100-400 lens.


Jun 09, 2016 at 11:01 AM
SpecFoto
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


I have both and use the EM1 95% of the time. For me it is the better camera vs. the EM5 MKII because of the built in grip, in the way the top layout is spaced (only 2 Fnc buttons vs 4 on the Em5MKII, which is too crowded) the larger and easier to change 1/2 lever, the rear AF button and the excellent tilting screen vs the articulating one, which I do not care for. The EM1 turns on instantly whereas the EM5 MKII takes 3 seconds for the AF selector to appear in the viewfinder (and Oly says this is normal). And I can get 400 or more shots with the EM1 with the BLN1 battery, luckily to get 300 with the EM5 MKII. With my 42.5 f/1.2 Nocticron, my most used lens, the EM5 MKII also hunts a lot more that the EM1. But with the Oly primes the AF is just a s fast.

Have added the RRS L bracket to the EM1 as it provides a resting place for my dangling pinky. Also added the HLD-8G grip to the EM5 and neither leave the camera, much better handling for the larger lenses with these grips

The EM5 MKII is a backup only body or for occasional video use. In a year of ownership is has less than 700 shots and if I had to do it again I would have bought a 2nd EM1 body for backup. As far as the 40MP Hi Res, it is kind of a gimmick, because of the limited applications. If I want that high amount of resolution I just use my D800 instead.

Edit* if your a off-camera flash shooter the EM1 has a flash sync of 1/320s vs 1/250 for the EM5 MKII.

http://www.pbase.com/specfoto/image/161001147.jpg


Edited on Jun 09, 2016 at 12:09 PM · View previous versions



Jun 09, 2016 at 11:04 AM
bobbytan
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


The RRS L-plate is an awesome addition but you can also pick up a generic copy like this one for $20:

http://www.amazon.com/Fotga-Bracket-Release-Vertical-Olympus/dp/B00NTW223O?ie=UTF8&keywords=L-plate%20for%20E-M1&qid=1465488982&ref_=sr_1_1&s=photo&sr=1-1







Jun 09, 2016 at 11:19 AM
SpecFoto
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


bobbytan wrote:
The RRS L-plate is an awesome addition but you can also pick up a generic copy like this one for $20:



When I bought my EM1 2-1/2 years ago there were no alternatives unfortunately



Jun 09, 2016 at 11:22 AM
bobbytan
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


SpecFoto wrote:
When I bought my EM1 2-1/2 years ago there were no alternatives unfortunately


Ditto!




Jun 09, 2016 at 11:34 AM
Tim Carpenter
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


And, the EM-1 with the 14-40 PRO 2.8 still significantly smaller and lighter that a 6D with L glass?


Jun 09, 2016 at 11:44 AM
SpecFoto
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Olympus EM-1 vs EM-5 MII


Tim Carpenter wrote:
And, the EM-1 with the 14-40 PRO 2.8 still significantly smaller and lighter that a 6D with L glass?


Tim I never used the Canon but I can say that the EM1 and Oly 12-40 f/2.8 is less than half the size and weight of my D800 and Nikon 24-70 F/2.8. In fact I recently just sold my Nikon 24-70 because of the excellent optical results with the Oly 12-40, it is just a fantastic lens! Plus it is a fully weather sealed setup.

Edit* D800 and Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 lens weigh 64 oz=4 lbs. EM1 and Oly 12-40 f/2.8 weigh 31 oz=1.9 lbs.



Jun 09, 2016 at 11:49 AM
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